Top 10 Cravings and Their Healthy Food Choices

Have you ever noticed that there are particular foods that you crave on a regular basis, often in cycles?  You’re not alone.  For example, many people crave sugar, carbohydrates, or alcohol not because of eating disorders, but instead it is a sign of hormone imbalance caused by a lack of healthy nutrition. One thing the doctors agree on, if you have dieted over a long period of time, particularly low-fat dieting, chances are your metabolism needs to heal itself first with the necessary nutritional support such as high-grade vitamins and supplements. If you become aware of your common cravings, you can also do daily work to slowly change your unhealthy habits and get back to a normal lifestyle that is not controlled by physical imbalances.  When you find yourself craving a particular food, try eating the healthy food choice is small amounts. Researchers have discovered that chocolate contains the same alkaloid compounds found in alcohol.  So you chocolate cravings might feel like an addiction, but like any other imbalance, you can fix it.  More women tend to have this craving and often our bodies are influenced by a shortage of magnesium.  In this case, healthy food choices include raw nuts, seeds, legumes and fruits.

If you crave sweets often, you might be exhausted or feeling depressed, your blood sugar and serotonin levels and likely low, and so the body signals the brain that it needs a pick me up.  But what your body probably needs is healthier food choices that include chromium, such as broccoli, grapes, cheese, dried beans, calves liver and chicken.  You may also need carbon, phosphorous, sulfur and tryptophan.  Try the following foods:  fresh fruits, chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, cheese, raisins, and vegetables such as kale, spinach and cabbage.

If you crave oily and fatty foods, what your body needs primarily is calcium.  Healthy sources of calcium include mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, and sesame.

A craving for coffee or tea, may be an indication of a few nutrients that are lacking such as phosphorus, sulfur, NaCL (salt) and iron.  Some of the healthy food choices in this case are chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, egg yolks, red pepper, garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables, sea salt, apple cider vinegar, seaweed, greens and black cherries.

Craving alcohol or even recreational drugs can be an indication that your body probably needs more protein, avenin, calcium, glutamine and potassium.  Try eating meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, nuts, granola, oatmeal, mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, raw cabbage juice, black olives, and seaweed.

If you crave soda or carbonated drinks, your body probably needs calcium.  Try eating mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese and sesame.  Here’s an important tip:  if you find yourself wanting to chewing ice often, your need iron.  Food sources are meat, fish, poultry, seaweed, greens and black cherries, or supplement a gentle iron.

If you crave salty foods, your body is looking for chloride.  The healthy choice is raw goat milk, fish and unrefined sea salt.  If a lot of your food choices are acidic in nature, you should supplement magnesium.

If you crave tobacco, your body could be looking for silicon and tyrosine.  Eat nuts, seeds and avoid refined starches.  It’s also a good idea to supplement Vitamin C and eat orange, green and red fruits and vegetables.

If you find yourself craving any solid food over a liquid, your body is dehydrated.  You have probably needed water for a long time so try flavoring your water with lemon or lime and give the body 8 glasses a day.

Women who have specific cravings right around menstruation or pre-menstrual are lacking zinc.  Try eating red meats (especially organ meats), seafood, leafy vegetables and root vegetables. The good news it’s possible to get your body back into balance with the right food choices made every day and supplement only where absolutely necessary.